Tallman, 25, missing since Jan. 23

By Charlie Brennan, Camera Staff Writer

Posted:
03/14/2014 05:48:31 PM MDT

Updated:
03/14/2014 11:09:51 PM MDT

Nathaniel Tallman (Courtesy photo)

Lafayette police, who have been investigating the January disappearance of Nathaniel Tallman, said late Friday that a body was discovered north of Lusk, Wyo., and that they are waiting for a positive identification.

Asked whether the body found Thursday could be that of Tallman, Lafayette police Cmdr. Brian Rosipajla said, "That's unknown. We're just awaiting a positive identification on who this is."

An unidentified man at the Tallman family's apartment in Erie on Friday evening said, "I'm sorry, we're devastated," before closing the door.

Lusk, with a population of about 1,567, is a small plains community east of Casper, near the Nebraska state line. It is the county seat of Niobrara County, the least populated county in the nation's least populated state.

Erin Applegarth, a dispatcher for the Niobrara County Sheriff's Office, said the body was discovered just off Wyo. State Highway 85. She was not able to say why Colorado authorities were notified of its discovery.

The crime scene where the body was discovered was processed by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations.

Rosipajla said no further information would be released by Lafayette police until an identification is made on the body.

Tallman was reported to Lafayette police on Jan. 23 as a missing person. He was last seen leaving his residence and has not been seen since.

Tallman's black, four-door 2014 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart was recovered Feb. 13 from an office complex at 75 Manhattan Drive in Boulder. Employees there told the Camera it had been parked there for about a week. They said Tallman did not frequent the building, which houses a variety of business offices.

Tallman's family and friends had offered a $10,000 reward for any information that would aid in locating the 2006 Monarch High School graduate.

On Feb. 28, a member of the Boulder County Drug Task Force confirmed that unit was involved in the search for Tallman, a missing person case that police were at that point labeling as a "suspicious" disappearance.

At that time, family members of Tallman declined comment and referred all questions about his disappearance to police.

New coordinator pushes Buffs to work, play at level he expectsJim Leavitt has discovered this much about his new defense at Colorado: He has some talent with which to work, but his players need to put it in another gear. Full Story

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